Cold Case: Detectives have new leads in Claiborne Co. homicide

With robbery as the motive and more than one person of interest, the Claiborne County Sheriff's Department said it has new evidence that could turn a cold case into a closed case.

Kennie Robertson was found dead in his garage on April 15th, 2011. His housekeeper, Patty Bartel, and her husband discovered his body.

"There's not a day go by that I don't think about him. He was a huge, huge part of our family," said Bartel.

Crime scene pictures paint the picture from the outside, but the gruesome discovery inside still haunts her dreams.

"It's been very rough on me the past two years. I've got post traumatic stress disorder. There are many nights that I wake up reliving what we found, and how we found him. It doesn't go away," said Bartel.

Bartel said she was on the phone with Robertson's son when she and her husband went the home on Carter Lane.

"I had a sense for several days that something wasn't right because he wasn't calling me back and I was supposed to go over and clean his house that week," said Bartel. "I saw lights on in his house. And that was something he didn't do in the daytime. When I heard his dog scratching on the garage door, then I knew. Because they were constant companions and Kennie would have never left that dog in the garage."

Bartel said Robertson's son told them to break into the home, and that's when her husband found Robertson in the garage.

"When he did, I heard my husband say, 'Oh God, Kennie. Oh God, Kennie'. And I knew," said Bartel. "I came in and I saw him laying there. And his son kept asking me, 'Is he alive?'. And I said, 'I don't think so,' and he said, 'check his pulse.' And I looked down and I saw his hands and I saw they were blue and I knew."

Since then, the Claiborne County Sheriff's Department has been combing through evidence.

"This scene was disturbed very, very badly by the him being beaten. There was also items taken from him. And there were items taken from the house," said Sheriff David Ray.

Ray said the suspects left items behind, as well. Detectives have interviewed over 100 people. Ray said testimonies are not adding up.

"Only the persons who were there would know specifics about that crime scene that I know. Those who were not there couldn't tell me for sure what was at that crime scene," said Ray.

Now, Ray said he is taking action to pursue charges against people who have lied under oath or withheld information from detectives.

"I am going to pursue this case as soon as possible with a grand jury reviewing the evidence that I have collected today. I have been informed, by the District Attorney General, he's ready to proceed."

Charges could bear serious penalties, including jail time.

"We beg the people, if they know anything about the death of Kennie Robertson to come forward," said Ray. "You could end up with a perjury charge, not even directly connected to the case, or they may end up being an accessory after the fact, which carries a penalty same as doing the crime."

Ray said detectives will not stop working the homicide case until it is solved; reassuring words for Bartel and those who loved Robertson.

"His life was worth just so much to all the people that loved him. And it's just not fair that whoever it is out there and they have their freedom when they took. They destroyed all of our worlds," said Bartel.